TOPLINE: A review of the distribution of risk estimates from three commonly used genomic assays for breast cancer found that Black women were more likely to have aggressive tumor phenotypes, which contributed to poorer outcomes. Such disparities persisted after adjusting for genomic risk scores and tumor subtypes. While these tests remain valuable for guiding treatment … Read more
A new social media trend is making headlines: Methylene blue is being touted as a cognitive booster and antiaging miracle. Influencers such as Ben Greenfield are promoting the use of this chemical to enhance brain performance, strengthen the immune system, and even prevent cancer without providing scientific evidence. Researchers have warned that methylene blue can … Read more
TOPLINE: Low-dose suppressive valacyclovir treatment of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) did not show significant benefits at 12 months but showed treatment superiority at 18 months and a reduction in the number of multiple episodes of keratitis or iritis at 12 and 18 months. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial across 95 sites in … Read more
A novel blood test that detects a key biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) could help physicians more accurately determine the presence and track disease progression. The test measures levels of the protein MTBR-tau243 — microtubule-binding region of tau containing the residue 243 — a biomarker of tau tangles in the brain that may be a … Read more
Fatigue and frailty, two common comorbidities of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, often receive insufficient attention in rheumatologic care settings. Fatigue significantly reduces quality of life, while frailty is associated with numerous risks and is not limited to older adults, according to Klaus Krüger, MD, head of the St. Bonifatius Rheumatology Practice Center in Munich, Germany. Speaking … Read more
TOPLINE: Moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy, both isodose and dose-escalated, led to progression-free survival outcomes similar to that achieved with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer, but the dose-escalated regimen came with an increased risk for toxicities compared with the conventional approach, according to findings from a recent meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY: Moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy is now … Read more
Wearable technologies such as smartwatches are providing physicians with new ways to monitor their patients’ health and detect cardiovascular risk factors. Metrics like daily step totals and average resting heart rate are already being used to predict cardiovascular health. Zhanlin Chen, a medical student at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, however, has developed a new … Read more
A study published in Brain Communications revealed new insights into early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have used noninvasive techniques, including near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalography, to examine functioning of the neurovascular unit in this disease. The study compared 19 patients with Alzheimer’s disease with 20 control individuals, revealing a significant decrease in cerebral oxygenation oscillations … Read more
AI Predicts Premature Death in IBD Patients: A Call for Multidisciplinary Care Table of Contents AI Predicts Premature Death in IBD Patients: A Call for Multidisciplinary Care The Alarming Reality of Premature Death in IBD Patients Understanding the Scope of the Problem in the U.S. Key Findings: Unveiling the Predictors of Premature Death A Call … Read more
TOPLINE: Maintaining a healthy diet and a lower waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) throughout midlife was associated with improved brain health and cognitive function in older age in a new cohort study. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed data from the Whitehall II Study (inception: 1985) at University College London, London, and the Whitehall II Imaging Substudy (2012-2016) at the … Read more